Asylum
by SpaceRune
Summary: Romulan Centurion Trax Sullen is on a reconnaissance mission to intercept a Federation ship. His mission is altered when he finds his vessel under attack by mysterious entities. (All of the characters in this story are OCs.) The cover art is by kaelia-san on Tumblr.
1. chapter 1

Centurion Trax Sullan relished in solitary missions. He loved kicking up his feet, letting music flow, and not having Commander Arkah breathing down his neck. The blackness of space with no light other than the glittering of distant stars allowed his mind to be at ease. This was as much a form of mental relaxation as it was physical. For the past few weeks, his right eye had been experiencing a dull, pulsing pain. It would only last for a few seconds at a time, but when it occurred it destroyed his concentration. The pain was not significant enough to be bothered with a visit to a doctor, but the darkness of space seemed to calm the tension. A day's travel remained before he would intercept the Fortitude, this meant he had at least a half a day to himself and his thoughts before he would prepare to board the enemy ship. He reclined in the pilot's seat and nearly drifted to sleep.

"Computer, set my alarm for nine hours from now," he said with a yawn.

The computer did not respond, it found itself occupied with a more concerning task.

"It is not recommended that you sleep, Centurion. There is hostile activity within range."

He braced the sides of his chair to avoid falling over.

"What!? Explain that another way. More explicitly, please."

"Centurion, it is recommended that you look on the screen. There are three unknown entities approaching this vessel. Forty-seven seconds ago, one of them caused an asteroid in its path to disappear. The device it used to do that, from what I can tell, is preparing to do that again. The likely target is this vessel. What is your recommended course of action?"

Trax's right eye twitched and he knitted his brow. He furiously scanned the digital monitor to assess the impending threat from the approaching entities, but failed to track their movements. The ship's computer informed him that these objects were nearing them, but he saw only erratic movements.

"Centurion, what is your recommended course of action?"

"Uh, uh, I'm not sure, I can't understand their movements."

His gut told him to ignore the display screen and use his own eyes. To his horror, when he looked out the large viewing window of his ship, he did not find the emptiness of space. Instead, he eyed a distorted blurriness and as far he could tell, it was coming closer. Was this mumbled space distortion one of the entities?

"Computer, cloak and evade, n-now!"

His voice hitched, but it was clear enough to command the ship. As the cloak started to materialize, a solid force started to bend and warp the side of the vessel. Trax could feel impending loss of oxygen and his heart throttled in his chest.

"C-c-computer, I-I- n-need a s-s-spacesuit," he forced out of his lungs.

"Centurion, it is recommended that you stay calm."

The ship opened a closet which released a gold and white EVA suit. It would be difficult to put it on if oxygen fell further. The order of operations was to suit up, and then send a distress signal, but how could he do any of that when the floor beneath his feet seemed to be losing integrity. He watched in stricken terror as the exterior walls of the ship stretched and thinned.

Gulping the dissipating air, he resolved to get himself into the suit.

"Centurion, you will pass out soon. Should I send a distress signal on your behalf?"

"N-n-not yet," he uttered through gasps.

As he struggled to force the suit to open, his cells felt as though they were being mangled and torn to bits. With shaking hands, he managed to bust the contraption open and pull himself inside. The instant he secured the seals on the protective gear, he slumped his shoulders and sighed for momentary relief.

"Centurion, I recommend sending a distress signal. It's unlikely the ship will maintain structural integrity for long." The computer's voice alternated between high and low frequencies.

With oxygen freely flowing to his brain, Trax could focus on adhering to his mission. He would call for help, but he wouldn't reveal his identity.

"Computer, I need to reconfigure the distress beacon so it appears as though it's coming from a Vulcan ship."

"That course of action is not recommended. You will jeopardize the mission if you do not get help immediately."

"It won't take me long! I'm an expert at signal translation! And stop calling me Centurion! When that Federation ship answers the beacon, and trust me it will answer a Vulcan beacon, they must have no knowledge that I am a centurion or anyone of import. Just call me Trax."

Another crushing wave came over the ship. The computer sputtered out a disagreeable response reminding Trax that he was failing to follow recommended protocol.

"Computer, the last time I didn't follow protocol, I got a promotion."

Trax manipulated the code, fueled by a mixture of adrenaline and expertise. Whatever the entities were doing, it was impairing his ability to think and function. He gritted his teeth before finalizing the transmission. Through the confusion and torsion, he hoped he sent something plausibly Vulcan. He barely had a moment to contemplate his next course of action when a high-velocity object colliding with his head forced him into unconsciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

"Corvus speaking," the Captain sighed as she pulled away from a bite of casserole to answer a call from the ship's doctor.

"Sorry to disturb you Captain, I have news about the alien we rescued from the distressed ship," Dr. Stokar informed.

"The Vulcan?" Questioned Corvus with her interest piqued.

"Well, that's just it. He's not Vulcan, he's Romulan. He had disguised his distress call as Vulcan and due to his lack of pronounced brow ridges, he looks believably Vulcan. It wasn't until I started treating him that I recognized the physiological differences."

"Oh," she placed her fork down, "Is he well enough for me to speak to him?"

"I believe so. I have treated all his wounds, none of which were serious. He is resting now. I will go ahead and wake him up."

"Thank you, Doctor. I'll be there shortly. I'll have Lt. Dehqan meet us there."

The captain stood up from her meal. She was no longer disappointed to be leaving her respite, but rather curious about the presence of this Romulan on her ship. She tapped her combadge to call the security chief.

"Lt. Dehqan, please meet me in the medical bay, it's concerning the alien we rescued earlier. It turns out he's Romulan, not Vulcan. We have no reason to suspect he is hostile, but we should ascertain why he concealed his identity. I would like you present when I talk with him."

"Yes Captain, I'll head there immediately."

When Captain Corvus entered the medical bay, the lieutenant and the doctor had already begun questioning the patient. She pushed her way between them and eyed the Romulan who lay blinking on a bed. His eyes lacked focus, the result of just waking. He looked to be about thirty years old, though the captain never did figure out how to tell Vulcan and Romulan ages, he wore civilian clothes, and his hair was not in a standard military style.

"Why did you disguise your signal as Vulcan?" asked the doctor in a cool tone.

"More importantly, how did you know how to do that?" asked Dehqan in an urgent and blustery manner.

"Gentlemen," Corvus interjected, "Can we please give our guest a moment? He's probably very confused after what happened to him and his ship."

She turned to the Romulan whose stare had grown more focused, alertness had returned to his eyes.

"My name is Captain Calista Corvus. You are on a Federation ship. We answered your distress call. If you are feeling up to it, we'd like to ask you a few questions."

A smile peeled on to the Romulan's face and he let out a robust laugh.

"I'm on a Federation ship, that's fantastic!"

"Is something funny?" Lt. Dehqan closed the distance between himself and the patient.

The captain signaled to her security officer to back down.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"I'm Trax," he answered as he sat up and recovered from his laughter.

"Unusual name for a Romulan, Trax. This is Lt. Dehqan, he's in charge of security and this is Dr. Stokar, he treated your wounds. We would like to know a bit about what happened and why you altered your signal to appear Vulcan."

His eyes shifted from the Klingon security officer to the Vulcan doctor and then settled on the human captain. He pulled his legs in to sit cross legged and leaned back with his weight supported by his palms.

"I was heading to visit my brother who lives off-world, when I was attacked by...by these things… I don't even know how to describe them! They didn't have discernible form and their movements were erratic. When they approached my ship, the walls started warping and twisting and I couldn't evade. I knew I had to send a distress signal. I saw that the closest ship was Starfleet, I feared a Romulan distress signal would be ignored!"

Corvus turned to the doctor and the lieutenant. Dr. Stokar had no clear expression on his face, but Lt. Dehqan squinted and curled his lips.

"How did you know how to alter the signal like that, Romulan? That's the work of a trained professional." The security officer spoke with edge and rapidity.

Trax snickered in response to the accusation, "Surely it's surprising to a _Klingon_ , but on Romulus, we have an educated population. We know more than just swinging our bat'leths."

Lt. Dehqan inhaled and his cheeks quivered with fury, "Captain, I recommend we throw this two-faced p'takh out the airlock!"

"Enough! Both of you! I know Klingons and Romulans have a _history_ but there is no place for that type of talk on this starship!" Corvus' voice rang with a stern timbre.

The lieutenant bowed his head to signal apology and obeisance to his commanding officer. Trax held his lips but did little to conceal a lingering smirk. The Captain took note of the Romulan's self-assured demeanor. He sure didn't possess the rigidity and presence of a military officer, especially not one of the Romulan Star Empire. And though he wore an asymmetrical haircut and street clothes, he failed to give the impression of an ordinary citizen either. His manner was too impetuous for someone on an enemy ship. A far more troublesome possibility emerged in her mind, that he could be an operative for the Tal Shiar. Corvus scratched her head. As a Starfleet captain, she had no business incriminating someone on suspicion alone.

"Now let's all continue cordially. Trax, our engineers are working on fixing your ship. We will head back to the Neutral Zone and once your vessel is ready you can return to Romulan territory. In the meantime, we have a guest room that you are welcome to stay in. For security reasons, I will have a guard outside your room at all times. Should you need to leave your room, you will be escorted. I hope you understand; I must ensure the safety of the crew."

"Thanks Captain, but I expected more trust from the Federation," Trax jumped off the bed, a move which was met by Lt. Dehqan grabbing his arm and forcing him to adjust his footing.

"Says the guy who disguised his signal to get on board...C'mon, to your room." The security chief pushed the Romulan's shoulder with deliberate roughness.

"Can I at least grab some belongings from my ship?" Trax questioned.

Corvus acquiesced but stipulated that all items be examined by security.

The captain opted to accompany the lieutenant as he escorted Trax to his ship and the guest room. She wanted to observe his behavior and be present should he have any questions. Most of the walk was quiet and there was no need for Lt. Dehqan to be physical. Trax conducted himself with absolute calm, and this was his most striking and unnerving feature. A few months prior, the Fortitude had intercepted a damaged vessel with six Romulan civilians. They were all terrified to be on a Starfleet ship. Trax was nothing like those people, but Corvus knew better than to assume uniformity across an entire race.

"This is your room. It's late evening on the ship now, so I'll be heading back to my quarters. I'd like to ask you more about those entities you encountered over breakfast. If they are as unpredictable as you say, it will be beneficial to all people if we can learn how to respond to them."

"Breakfast with a beautiful captain such as yourself? Of course, I'd be much obliged!" Trax grinned.

"Don't talk to the captain that way!" Dehqan grunted as he pinned Trax against the wall.

The Romulan winced from the abrupt pressure on his ribs but maintained his smile.

"Lieutenant, that's not necessary, just let him in the room." Corvus said in a slow and decisive voice.

"You know," Trax said while being pushed through the door, "Starfleet is kinda interesting! A Klingon security officer and a Vulcan doctor...it's kinda perfect. Klingons aren't good for much else than roughing people up a bit, and the stoic and logical Vulcans will never let their emotions interfere with tough medical decisions."

The lieutenant increased the force with which he applied to the Romulan's back but held any further comment. The guest quarters' door slid closed and he punched in a code to secure it. Both officers found themselves annoyed and baffled by their Romulan _guest_.


	3. Chapter 3

Trax waited for the door to close, he released a considerable sigh once he was alone. He staggered to the bed, flopped on it, and began mumbling to himself.

"Well, that was _interesting_ ," he groaned as he rubbed his right eye.

He had maintained his cool in every interaction with the Starfleet officers, but all of it had deviated from the original plan. They had abundant suspicion of him and it caused him to don a more antagonistic attitude than he would have liked. At least the slurs about Klingons were believable and Trax found it strangely enjoyable to tease that irritable security officer. As for the captain, she was remarkably good looking, but it was probably unnecessary to comment on that.

Trax wished he could drift to sleep and worry about continuing his mission some hours later, but he knew that was not an option. He still had to do the most disagreeable part of the whole venture, he had to contact his commanding officer. He would rather bang his head against a wall than report to the insufferable Commander Arkah. In fact, he always thought that banging his head against a wall would prove more fruitful than conversing with the him. After some begrudging moments, he gathered the will to prepare for the loathsome task.

Starfleet security was lax. Though they had investigated his belongings, and found no illicit item, they had failed to notice that the components for a makeshift communication device were scattered throughout his clothes and personal items. It probably helped that Romulan technology was not fully known by the Federation. The distance between the cultures made obfuscation and construction of the device simpler.

Before sending the signal to the Romulan commander, Trax kneaded his brow with an anxious fervor. He stood up and paced the length of the quarters. Perhaps he needed something to drink —coffee— why not try something unavailable on Romulus. He requested it from the replicator. It was terrible. Next, he opted for soda. That too was unpleasant. Finally, he settled on green tea. It wasn't delicious, but he brought himself to realize he was wasting time, and the tea was tolerable enough. He sat down and sent the signal to the Romulan warbird.

The Romulan commander appeared on the small screen, his stodgy yet peremptory presence fully preserved through the electromagnetic signal.

"Commander Arkah," Trax brought his fist to his chest in a firm and respectful salute. "I'm aboard the Federation ship. We must talk quietly though. I've setup a device to diffuse sound, but there is a guard just outside this room."

"Ah, Centurion Trax Sullen, good to _finally_ hear from you. This is quite a bit later than I expected. Perhaps you care to explain your tardiness and why security is monitoring you so closely?"

"My sincere apologies sir," He lowered his gaze and cleared his throat, "but you see my ship was attacked on the way to intercept the Fortitude. I barely survived!"

"Attacked? By whom? I knew I shouldn't have allowed such a careless officer to do such delicate work!"

"I-I tried to evade them, but they were unlike anything I'd ever seen! They were fast, with unpredictable movements. Before I knew it, they were tearing my ship apart! They even broke through the cloaking device! I'm almost certain they are the cause of the recent attacks near Romulus. It's not the Federation sir, the Fortitude is here alone. I will continue to gather intel on them, but they aren't the most eminent threat."

The Commander inhaled and exhaled taking ample time for each. It was a habit of his to make his subordinates wait for a response. Trax counted his heartbeats through the silence.

"I see. Thank you, Sullen," he began after a palpable pause, "I know nothing of these entities you speak of and you have provided me no actionable intelligence on them. In its stead, my fleet will confront the Federation ship. Since, as you say, it's alone, a resounding victory will be swift and facile."

"You're going to fire on the Fortitude!? This is a reconnaissance mission only, sir!" Trax did little to control his volume.

"Fire on it and defeat it. The Romulan people need a victory and a leader to guide them through trying times. Sullen, in the likely case we cannot teleport you off that ship, I thank you for your service, no matter how fumbling it has been, and for your sacrifice."

Trax seized the communication device and trembled with it in his hands.

"Sir, with all due respect, you risk starting an all-out war with the Federation! Romulus is fractured internally and facing an unknown threat. This is no time to be firing on the Federation!"

Arkah filled his chest with breath and released a grumbling snort. The frown he wore exposed disappointment and contempt for his officer.

"Sullen, how many times do I have to remind you, you have no head for politics? Romulus _needs_ hope right now. A victory against the Federation will give our people the inspiration they need. Do you understand?"

With his lower lip quivering, Trax struggled to deliver an answer.

"Fear and doubt is not becoming of an officer of the Romulan Star Empire. You will die a hero. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir," Trax spoke with renewed quiet and calm, "I understand."

"Good. In the meantime, keep gathering intelligence. We will be there in less than two days. This will likely be our final communication."

The screen went black. Trax felt his heart throbbing in his throat. Was this cowardice? Was it only fear for his own life that made him doubt his mission? He pledged loyalty and his life to the empire when he joined the military. He should have faith in the words of his commander, yet those words seemed hollow and unworthy of allegiance. Arkah's plan would not strengthen the empire, it would only stress the fractures in its foundation.


	4. Chapter 4

"The captain will be meeting with you shortly." A voiced buzzed into the guest quarters.

Trax blinked heavy eyelids as the message reached his ears. Exhaustion permeated his limbs and back, but his mind chattered with anxious energy. He hoisted himself off the bed and headed to the bathroom. A shower, or at least a splash of water to the face, would help bring him back to his usual self.

"Trax," the recognizable and sanguine voice of Captain Corvus came through the speakers, "Please meet me at the door when you're ready."

Some hours ago, Trax looked forward to breakfast with the captain. That was when he thought he was on a reconnaissance mission. He would've pushed her to see how much information she would reveal that would be of interest to the Romulan Star Empire. Now, he was doomed to be incinerated in an inglourious and purposeless display of firepower. As a person adept at keeping calm, it troubled him that his body was clammy with unease.

"Good morning, Captain," Trax pushed damp hair out of his eyes and leaned in the door frame.

"Good Morning, did you have trouble sleeping?" The captain cocked her head at the somewhat disheveled Romulan.

Trax rubbed his right eye as a dull pressure increased behind the cornea.

"It must be something about Starfleet issue beds, I couldn't get comfortable." He forced a smile but it didn't feel as convincing as his grin from the previous day.

"Right...well it's this way to the cafeteria. I hope Starfleet issue food is up to your standard."

The halls of the Fortitude were clean and well-lit. It was not an uncomfortable environment, but not an inspiring one either. The captain had a self-assured walk, her confidence in herself helped her crew feel at ease. As Trax examined her prominent features, he sighed. From all he could gather, she was an admirable leader, sure she was his enemy, but she did not deserve to die. Corvus turned to face him, no doubt in response to his saddened breath and the feeling of him staring.

"Is something wrong, Trax?" Her voice was rounded and soothing.

"Oh….uh...nothing at all! Just sighed at the pretty Trill who sauntered by before. Seems there are many lovely ladies on this ship! I wouldn't mind staying for a bit."

By the way the captain twisted her mouth, Trax knew his ploy had failed. She had grown suspicious of his distracted demeanor.

The cafeteria was spotted with Starfleet officers. Most of them were human, but other aliens were mixed in as well. A Klingon and a Trill chatted, a Vulcan sipped tea silently with her head immersed in a book, and most surprising of all, a Bajoran bantered with two Ferengi. The overall mood was lively and amicable, but within less than two days, their peaceful lives would disintegrate. These strangers were the enemy, but they did not deserve to die. Trax's chest tightened as he observed them. He knew their grim fate, yet they were so blissfully unaware.

"I recommend the pancakes." Corvus interrupted his thoughts.

Trax rubbed his eye and nodded. He grabbed the fluffy, gooey, and probably disgusting Earth specialty.

"So Trax, have you lived on Romulus your whole life?"

He sunk his teeth into the saccharine cake and recoiled.

"I thought we were going to talk about the entities...but if you're more interested in me, I'd gladly tell you about myself."

The captain sighed to herself in response.

"Just trying to be friendly...but...actually, I do have a question about you. What's going on with your eye?"

The usual twinge in his eye had increased since he contacted his commander, but he wasn't about to let a Starfleet officer pry into something he knew little about.

"It's nothing, just some chronic something or other. I'll get it looked into once I'm home."

He fiddled with small bites of his food, but ate only a tiny portion. The taste wasn't to his liking, but worse was the queasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. Captain Corvus had been talking about the entities, but he failed to pay full attention. Each time he looked at her, a lump clung to the back of his throat. His mouth grew dry as his mind fixated on the approach of the Romulan fleet. He felt helpless and yet culpable for the forthcoming deaths of the strangers around him. That is, until an idea flashed before his mind.

"Captain, I beg your pardon, you're such a lovely companion, but I feel I'm useless now. I'm much too exhausted. Have one of your security officers take me to my room. I'll be of much more use in a few hours."

The captain did as he requested and allowed him to be escorted to the guest quarters. The door shut and his shoulders relaxed. He reached for the device he had contacted his commander with, it still held an active connection with the Romulan ship. A slight shift to all three coordinates would be sufficient to lead the warbird astray.

"That should lead them a light year or so in the wrong direction!"

Trax bit his lip and indulged in a relieved, yet self-satisfied laugh as he fell back on the bed. Sleep came swiftly once assured conflict had been _temporarily_ avoided.


	5. Chapter 5

As ship's evening approached, Captain Calista Corvus slipped into a satin robe, sank into a cushy armchair, and opened a book titled, _The Unifying Spirit of Space-faring Civilizations._ Despite her curiosity of the various idiosyncrasies of the final frontier, she was quite content to read about them at the moment. So when she heard the static of her communication device, she sighed in exasperation.

"Captain Corvus," the young and eager voice of Lt. Commander Sato interrupted, "Sorry to bother you now, but we detected something unusual."

"What kind of unusual?" She asked placing down her book.

"Well, we spotted some unexpected gravitational lensing. As far as we can tell, there is some distant light being bent yet there is no known massive body in the foreground. I went ahead and looked into this before contacting you, it seems it could be the effect of an imperfect cloaking device."

"Right, I've heard of this issue with some Romulan cloaking devices before. Have you determined the size of the cloaked object? More importantly, can you tell if it's moving?"

"Well, Captain, if it is a cloaked object, it's larger than just one ship. I'm still working to determine direction…" His voice trailed off to be replaced by the busy clicking of computer keys.

"That's OK, you can get back to me with your calculation. For now, how certain would you say we are looking at a Romulan cloaking device?"

Beeps and typing continued a short while longer, finally Sato said confidently, " Until I have further information, my leading hypothesis is that we are looking at some sort of cloaking device."

Corvus marched to her wardrobe and hung up her robe. She regretted having to depart with its silky texture, but knew there were more pressing matters.

"Thank you Lt. Commander. Let me know as soon as you have determined the motion of the object."

Though the captain wanted to avoid jumping to conclusions, she saw an opportunity to learn more about the identity of their Romulan passenger. Just in case, she would ask Lt. Dehqan to accompany her to the guest quarters.

The security chief and the captain met in the long corridors on the lower level of the ship. Somehow, the light seemed dimmer than usual.

"Now remember, we have no reason to accuse him of anything. I'm just curious if he has knowledge of an approaching Romulan ship," Captain Corvus explained to the lieutenant as they walked to the guest room.

"But we don't know if there is a Romulan ship out there...Captain, you are tricking him?" Dehqan twisted his lips at the unexpected action.

"Just a bit," she said without reservation, "If he is ignorant of it, then no harm. If he knows something about it, then he might be surprised that we've detected it and he'll reveal some vital information."

"I personally would love to place that smug guy under arrest, but I'm surprised at your tactic. Besides, there's a chance he'll lie either way."

"Perhaps. Let's see how he reacts."

They turned the corner to the guest room and motioned for the on-duty guard to step aside. Corvus called for the Romulan through the speaker system.

Trax opened the door and stood in the frame with a broad smile across his face. "I was overjoyed to hear the captain's voice but now that I see the Security Klingon is present, I realize this is probably not a casual visit. I've done nothing wrong, to what do I owe this encounter?"

"Trax," Corvus began, "You're a smart guy. We detected some unexpected gravitational lensing. What known phenomenon could cause that?"

The smile vanished from his face. "It's possible that could be caused by a cloaking device...but I'm not sure what that has to do with me. If it's a cloaking device it could be Klingon."

Seeing the sudden and obvious seriousness in his expression, she decided to take the details further.

"An approaching Klingon fleet in this region of space is unlikely, you realize that, I'm sure."

The Romulan relinquished his relaxed posture, "A-approaching fleet?"

"Lieutenant, did you see that? I think that's the first genuine response we've gotten from our guest," Corvus said as she threw her hands on her hips.

"If there is an approaching Romulan fleet, I-I have no idea how they could be following us. That shouldn't be possible!" Trax said with his brow knitted tightly.

The captain turned to Lt. Dehqan and communicated her directive nonverbally. Corvus blinked twice and Dehqan nodded. He placed one hand on his phaser and grabbed Trax's shoulder with the other.

"H-hey!" Trax protested and jerked back, "I haven't done anything! I-I just know that if there is a Romulan fleet on our tail, that's bad news for this ship and it's crew!"

Dehqan slammed Trax into the wall. An action which caused the Romulan to grit his teeth as his wrists were placed into cuffs.

"That's too rough, Lieutenant! There was no need to do that," Corvus reprimanded her officer then turned her gaze to Trax, "It's evident you know something about that fleet that we don't. You need to explain yourself."

Trax adjusted his stance as Dehqan loosened his hold. Corvus supposed he was attempting to look as confident as one could while in handcuffs.

"That fleet is probably headed by Commander Arkah," he informed the Starfleet officers and paused before continuing, "He...he...is my commander."

"And you were sent here by him?" Dehqan blurted.

"Yes, I was but I-"

"I think that's more than enough information. I'll take him to the brig," the security officer interrupted as he pushed Trax forward.

"Wait," Corvus raised her hand, "I want to hear what he has to say. Go on."

Trax brought his eyes to meet the captain's. "It's true, I was sent to spy on this ship, but I was under the impression my mission was reconnaissance only! When I made contact with my commander, he told me he planned on firing on the Fortitude! I-I couldn't let him do that, so I shifted the coordinates on the locator beacon I set up. I don't know how he is still tracking our position. It shouldn't be possible!"

Captain Corvus closed her eyes and exhaled audibly. A knot twisted in her stomach. She had a covert agent on her ship and she had failed to recognize the danger. Everything about him had been suspicious from the disguised distress signal to his flippant attitude. Did her desire to avoid assumptions create the conditions for her to be fooled? Though she wanted to quell the uneasy thoughts in her mind, it was not the time to stagnate over guilt. There was an approaching aggressor and the safety of the ship and its crew was paramount.

"I will need more information. Show me the device you used to contact your commander."

Trax nodded but squirmed in the restraints, "Are these handcuffs really necessary?"

"Absolutely," Corvus replied adamantly, "You spied on us and have endangered the lives of everyone aboard this vessel. You will be spending the remainder of your time on this ship by my side or in the brig. Now, where is the beacon?"

"It's under the bed," he indicated the direction with his head.

"OK, you say you're not sure how your commander can be following us, well it seems he is still receiving our coordinates, somehow. I'll take this device to Engineering to have them take a look," she said and then turned to address Lt. Dehqan, "In the meantime, take Trax to the brig. Make sure someone has their eyes on him at all times."

The captain watched as the security chief nudged the spy down the hall. She raised an eyebrow at how compliant Trax had become once his identity was discovered—his nonchalance disappeared to be replaced by a quiet solemnity. A tightness gripped her throat as she eyed the makeshift communication device in her hand. If she couldn't destroy the signal soon, there would be little hope of evasion.


	6. Chapter 6

Within the hour, the Romulan fleet would be deep in the Neutral Zone and within firing range of the Fortitude. Captain Corvus briefed the crew; they would neither fire nor evade. There was tension at the back of her neck, but her heart maintained a regular beat. She firmly held that confrontation could be avoided with negotiations alone. But for that, she would need some help from Trax.

"Lieutenant, could you please take your leave, I'd like to speak with Trax alone." Corvus requested with a gentle and calm voice as she entered the brig.

"Captain, he is a dangerous criminal! I-" Dehqan raised his tone only to be interrupted by a firm response.

"That's an order, Lieutenant."

The security chief followed her command but not without sneering.

When Corvus turned to face the Romulan in the cell, she found his eyes wide and mouth agape. He seemed to hold his breath in anticipation of her next move.

"Please relax," she said in that same soothing tone.

"I think I'm pretty relaxed, given the circumstances," He corrected his anxious stare.

"Trax, I cannot overlook what you've done, but I also don't think you meant to endanger our lives. We examined your communication device, your ship, and all your belongings, but have not concluded how the Romulan fleet is tracking us. But we also found that you recorded the conversation between you and your commander."

"Yeah? What of it? You think we could use it as leverage? The way he blatantly ignores my warning about those entities! And the way he casts himself as the hero of the Romulan Star Empire?" Trax paced behind the glass barrier with renewed vigor.

"Yes, I think we can do that. You have to convince him that you can send that information directly to Romulus. Can you do that?"

"Of course I can! It would be my greatest pleasure to threaten his downfall!" His characteristic grin returned.

"Hmmph, OK good," she returned his smile and admired his enthusiasm but still figured it best to be cautious of his motives.

"One more thing, Trax," Corvus began then held her breath.

Her momentary silence visibly irked him. He started to pace faster. She knew little about him but the disquiet in her gut told her he was ill-fated. She didn't need much more than that to decide she wanted to mitigate his punishment.

"I want to offer you the option of asylum. During negotiations, Commander Arkah will probably ask that we return you to him, but I want to give you the option of staying here. You will be our prisoner, but I _promise_ we will never harm you and eventually you will be given a fair trial. Can you say the same if we turn you over to your commander?" She approached the glass enclosure.

He looked directly into her forthright eyes and nearly rolled his own. "No, Captain. I'm pretty sure you know the answer to that. I'll be _interrogated_ and then executed for treason, without a trial."

"So, will you accept the offer then?"

He stood motionless and grimaced. There was a look of disbelief on his face. He started to form a sentence a few times, but kept pausing and rephrasing. Eventually he chose his words.

"Look, Captain, it's an intriguing offer. I don't want to die, who does? But...but...I could never accept it. Despite my feelings towards the commander, I still failed my mission. I-I have to face the consequences. I-I didn't try to evade him just to save my own skin."

"As I understand the situation, he deceived and betrayed you. You still obeyed your duty, which is to the Romulan Empire, right? Not just to one person. You, yourself said his actions would hurt the empire."

The Captain watched Trax as he retreated to sit on the bed, hunched his shoulders, and sighed. For someone rather tall, he managed to look quite small. His right eye started twitching, unable to address the irritation with his cuffed hands, he squinted his eyelid.

"Trax," Corvus said delicately as a troubling thought entered her mind, "Your eye's troubling you again. Can you describe what it feels like?"

"Eh, it's gotten worse, sometimes it's like a pulsating sensation...why are you so concerned about it?"

The engineers had investigated everything he owned but no one had investigated _him_. She assumed since he was looked over by the doctor that a tracking device would have been detected. This thinking failed to consider the idiosyncrasies of Romulan technology. The tightness in her neck increased as she considered the implications.

"I hope I'm wrong but-"

Her sentence was cut off by the voice of Lt. Commander Sato, "Captain, the Romulan fleet is within our visibility. If we want to hail them, now is the time. They are still cloaked, so they probably think we are unaware of their presence."

"Good, thank you," Corvus threw her shoulders back and tightened her fists, "We'll be right up. C'mon Trax."

Trax hurried to cell door. The captain opened it but stood blocking his path.

"Listen to me. I'm going to take off your handcuffs. I'm going to trust you. You have given me very little reason to do so, but I think you recognize that we need to work together for the time being."


	7. Chapter 7

Author's note: Content warning for this chapter for depiction of bodily harm.

"Hey. Posture. Make it look like you have some conviction. You've been cocky this whole time, don't succumb to doubt now. Keep it together." Captain Corvus instructed Trax as they stood before the sealed door of the bridge.

He looked at the Starfleet captain with a raised brow. He didn't notice that he also adjusted his slouched shoulders the moment she said the word "posture." Memories of his childhood came rushing back. Katea, though the younger sibling, never had qualms about correcting his maladaptive habits. He shook off the recollection and responded to Captain Corvus.

"You're treating me like a member of your crew, Captain."

"Part of my job as captain is ensuring morale on this ship. You're on this ship and about to help us through a delicate situation. I need you to be confident that we will succeed," Corvus took one further step and the bridge door parted effortlessly.

"R-right," he followed the door with his eyes. Through the threshold he would be faced by his commander and the rest of his life. His feet seemed to adhere to the ground, it took considerable labor to move forward.

Corvus addressed the officers on the bridge, "This is Trax. He might not look like it, but he's the Romulan spy who got us into this mess. He's going to help get us out of it."

Nods and murmurs worked their way through the crew. A tall Vulcan stood beside the captain. Trax assumed her to be the first officer. She whispered something to the captain while she stared at him. Corvus nodded, then gave the order to hail the Romulan ship.

Within a few seconds, his commander would be looking down at him. Silence persisted as the seconds became minutes. Finally, he blurted out, "C'mon Commander! Answer the hail! You know we already knew about your presence. Why else would the shields be up?"

Every crew member on the bridge stared as he voiced his thoughts out loud. He could feel their eyes making judgements on his character. Could they see the sweat beads forming at his temples?

"The Romulan ship is responding," an officer stated.

Commander Arkah, and no one else, appeared on the large view screen. He surveyed the room and stopped once his eyes settled on his officer. Trax met his gaze with a salute to his chest.

"You have the nerve to salute me? To act like you're still part of this military? How dare you? I know what you've done," Arkah spat out his words in a damning tone that reverberated even on the Starfleet bridge.

"Sir, if you fire on this ship, you will ignite a long, brutal, and unnecessary war! I stand by what I did," Trax stood firm-footed and maintained the posture Corvus reminded him to keep.

"Sounds like you've drunk some Federation poison," the commander scoffed.

Trax clenched his fists and responded in a tone that sounded like a growl, "This has nothing to do with my feelings on the Federation! Romulus is in turmoil and this is-"

"Thank you, Trax," interrupted Corvus, "You've made your point very clear. I don't think your commander will be persuaded by it though. But I also think he recognizes firing on us now, will not go as smoothly as he expected since we were prepared for their arrival. So, Commander, how did you follow us here after Trax scrambled the coordinates?"

"That's easy. There is a device in his eye that transmits his location to me whenever I request it. A few of my spies have it. Don't you think it's justified given his behavior?" Arkah folded his arms and sat back in his chair.

Weeks of irritation in Trax's right eye had been caused by an implant that was embedded in his eye without his knowledge or consent. His throat tightened and his hands grew numb. He had a number of strategies for dealing with external threats, but the interloper in his eye was not something to fight or run from. His stomach fluttered and in a surprise to himself and those who watched, he burst out laughing.

"Of course! Classic Romulan paranoia! How can I be so stupid? Well, good news, Commander! I'm just as paranoid as you are! Remember our little conversation where I told you about the entities that attacked me and you just ignored my warning? Well, I recorded the whole thing! With a simple push of a button I can transmit that entire conversation back to the central government!"

Arkah stared down his nose and exhaled. "I see."

"If you so see, why don't you show some understanding by powering down your disruptors?" Corvus interjected.

Commander Arkah straightened his lips into a thin line, "So you wish to negotiate then?"

"Indeed, Commander," Corvus strutted ahead of Trax, "I will keep that recording to myself. It won't fall in Romulan hands, and I won't share it with anyone else in Starfleet. But should you so much as power up one more weapon, I will send it before the beam can traverse the space between us. What'll it be?"

"I'd rather not be bullied by a human and a renegade," the Romulan commander released a heavy sigh, "but I could see how my choice of words in that recording could be... _misinterpreted_. We will power down our weapons."

The disruptors showed a corresponding decrease in thermal energy.

"I will even send the rest of the fleet away for my final demand," the commander signaled a directive and several smaller cloaked ships warped away, "I ask that you put down your shields so I can transport that _traitor_ back to my ship."

Captain Corvus turned away from the screen to face Trax. Once her eyes met his, his chest tightened.

"My offer still stands, Trax. If you ask for asylum, I will grant it to you," she reached out her hand towards him; She creased her brow and her eyes seemed to glisten.

There were only fleeting moments, mere seconds in which he could make a life-sentence decision. Return home to face torture and execution, or become a prisoner of the enemy. If he didn't value his life or his pride, the decision would be facile.

"Trax, there's no shame in accepting, especially after how he treated you. I'm not going to lift the shields until you inform me of your decision," she pleaded through his continued silence.

He turned to the stern and bloated face of Commander Arkah on the view screen. The commander delivered an unspoken directive to an unseen officer on the bridge of the Romulan warbird. Trax felt his body grow cold. Struggling to find his voice, he stuttered, "I-I- can't-"

"What you are disgracefully trying to say," insisted Arkah in a corrective tone, "is that you are no longer of use to me or the empire. You have been compromised by the Federation and by your own weak character. The transporter signal might be blocked by the shields, but communication with that device in your eye is not."

Trax brought an enervated and trembling hand to his right eye. He swallowed hard ahead of what was to come.

"Destroy the implant," Arkah informed the unseen officer, "We can't risk him sharing secrets with the Federation."

The screen went black. The bridge of the Fortitude reverberated with silence until a small, muffled electronic noise was heard by all. Then, the quiet was shattered by a scream. It was a scream filled with agony and terror. Trax thrashed his head around. A searing, gurgling substance ate at the tissue at the back of his eye. Green, coagulated fluid oozed from his cornea and down his cheek.

"Warp 2, take us out of here! I need a medical team to the bridge, _immediately_! Transport here if you have to," Corvus ordered expediently.

Through the torment, Trax could see the captain rushing to his side.

"Trax! Trax!" She urged, "You have to put your head down!"

"Make it stop!" He cried, stretching the vowels and unable to control the pitch and volume of his voice.

Captain Corvus placed her hand on the back of his head, "Keep your head down, the chemical needs to fall out, not back in your head. Put your arm on my shoulder. I've got you."

Unable to command his limbs, Corvus guided his arm around her shoulder. She continued talking to him but he heard only murmurs and the rush of blood. While his right eye cauterized, his left saw nothing but gray haze. His knees collapsed to the ground and the gray gave way to blackness.


	8. Chapter 8

A heavy pressure filled his cheeks, nose, and forehead. His right eye experienced something at odds with this fullness; It felt tingling numbness. He made a feeble attempt to move his arms, but succeeded only in squirming.

"I will be right over. Try not to move too much until I get there," a voice said calmly from some distance away.

"I'm going to put my hand on yours and take your pulse now," the monotone voice continued as its speaker drew near.

Trax concluded he was still on the Federation ship and the voice was that of the Vulcan doctor.

"I-I'm alive," he said slowly as he opened his left eye enough to see light and fuzzy shapes, "w-what h-happened?"

Words were difficult to form. His chest rose and fell with rapid and shallow breaths. The doctor didn't release Trax's hand after taking his vitals, but instead applied a gentle pressure.

"This must be very difficult for you, but you are safe now," the doctor informed, "I would like to ask you a few questions to check cognitive function."

That cold hand squeezing his own, was an abhorrent thing. The last thing he wanted was to be consoled by a Vulcan, and yet, it provided comfort. His breathing regulated and he nodded his head to acquiesce to the questioning. The small motion made him aware of heavy bandaging applied to the right side of his head. A memory of searing pain flashed in his mind.

"These questions will be basic. Please tell me, what is your name?"

"My name is Trax."

"Good, thank you. Do you know where you are?"

"Yeah, Federation ship...which makes me a prisoner."

"That's correct, Trax. We can discuss details of your political status later. Right now, we need to discuss your medical condition."

Releasing a quivering sigh, Trax nodded his head a second time. It was easier than using words. The doctor squeezed his hand again and held it.

"When the device in your eye was destroyed, it released a small amount of a caustic substance. Though the quantity was small, it was enough to destroy most of your right eye. I'm sorry Trax, there was nothing we could do to salvage your eye."

"...well...shit…" he uttered in a breathy and resolute voice as he brought his hand to examine the bandaging that concealed where his eye once was, "guess I really can't go back to Romulus...they aren't exactly very tolerant of disfigured people there…"

"So," he began again with a new brightness in his voice, "Do I at least get a fashionable eye piece?"

As he made his jest, a tear slipped out of his left eye and down his cheek. The doctor took note of what the patient ignored.

"Trax, if you need to cry, it's OK. You don't have to brush this aside and suppress your emotions," the doctor said as his rigid voice softened.

Trax wiped the tear from his cheek. Through a bemused smile he said, "I don't want to hear that from a Vulcan. I know you might expect a Romulan to have an emotional outburst, but I think I've got this. I'm a prisoner, what else can I really do beyond accept my situation?"

Calista Corvus gazed out the porthole of her bedroom and asked redundant questions, but the cold void provided no answers. She turned to her handwritten journal. In it, she had asked the same ponderings she asked of space:

 _Did I do the right thing?_

 _Did I have the wellbeing of my crew at the forefront of my mind at all times?_

 _Was I wrong to not return Trax to his ship?_

 _What principles did I appeal to in my decisions?_

 _What will be the outcome of my actions?_

She jotted down a few more variations of these thoughts, but most just reiterated the same ruminations. She could allow these questions to spiral incessantly, or she could seek answers and attempt to move on.

"Dr. Stokar," she tapped her communication device, "how is Trax doing? Is he well enough to have a short conversation?"

"Yes, Captain. He's been awake for awhile," the doctor replied in his efficient manner.

"Good, I'll be right over. Let him know I'm on my way," she closed the communication line and placed down her pen.

The walk to Sickbay was long and fraught with unease. Part of her dreaded seeing Trax. Though he had been a spy and enemy of the Federation, not so many hours ago, he was healthy and lively. Now, he was recovering from a traumatic and painful assault. She could not help from feeling marginally culpable.

Dr. Stokar pointed Captain Corvus towards Trax. He sat with his legs up on a bed and his arms folded over his knees; He looked straight ahead, his dark blonde hair ruffled by the bandages over his eye.

"Hello, Trax," the captain spoke cordially.

He turned his one good eye to face her and sucked in air through his nose.

"I don't understand, everyone's being so nice to me. Is it because I've been injured?"

For the first time, she noticed his eye color was a vivid hazel.

"I promised we would never harm you," she said as she elicited a subtle smile, "yet I can't help but feel as though I've failed you on that promise. I'm deeply sorry about what's happened to you."

He ran his fingers over the bandage.

"This is not your doing, Captain, you have nothing to apologize for," there was a listless quality to his voice.

Corvus searched the perimeter of the medical room for a seat, she finally found a stool and pulled it close to the bed.

"Trax, you mentioned you have a brother. Do you have any other family back home?"

"Oh, I don't have a brother. That story I mentioned when I arrived here was completely fabricated. As a spy, I'd never mention my real family, but now I suppose it doesn't matter. I have a younger sister, Katea. She's probably already been told about my 'death'. They'd tell her I died honorably, so as to avoid any suspicion," he leaned his head back and stared at the ceiling, "I shudder to think how she felt when she heard about my death...I know she's strong and doesn't need me...I just hope she's OK."

"I have a sister too. I visit her every time I return to Earth. I couldn't imagine living without her," Corvus tightened her fists, her goal was to be consoling, but she wondered if she was producing the opposite effect.

"Is there anyone else?" She continued in spite of her apprehension.

"My parents, but I doubt they'll be bothered much by news of my _honorable_ death," he said with half a smile, "my father is probably satisfied that I made it through my life without embarrassing the family...at least as far as he knows."

"I don't know your parents, but I don't expect they would be _satisfied_ with news of your death," she shrugged at the irksome comment.

Trax shifted several times on the medical bed. Never once throughout the entirety of their conversation did he remain still. After an uncomfortable amount of silence, he turned to face her, he spoke slowly and clearly, "Commander Arkah is a greedy and power-hungry man. Though his paranoia was characteristically Romulan, not all Romulans would go to the lengths he did in his attempt to secure his own status. Yes, there are fundamental differences in the values between the people of the Romulus and the people of the Federation, but I hope that my people will not be judged by the actions of one deranged person."

He held his stare, nearly without blinking, as he delivered his message.

"We would never assume an entire people could be wholly represented by one man. Besides, I've already seen at least one Romulan who seems to be counter to Arkah's cruelty and avarice."

"And yet," Trax began as he looked longingly at his hand, "I am your prisoner."

"You spied on us, and endangered this ship and its crew. I _cannot_ overlook that...but," she drew in breath, "I have already started conversations with Starfleet to reduce your punishment. I am hoping they will at least allow you your own room and some freedom of movement about the ship."

Trax held up his arm and looked down his finger. He seemed to be testing his new depth perception. Through this motion he stated, "Thanks Captain. It's an understatement to say I'm not happy to be here, but I'm being treated well...I'm being treated better on an enemy ship than I would be on my own ship…" he paused and laughed, "gives me a lot to think about."

**********

 **Author's Note:** I just wanted to thank all of my readers. I sincerely hope you enjoyed this story. The idea came to me, when I saw it pointed out that subsequent Star Trek series often include a former enemy species as a member of the crew. An example of this is Worf, who is Klingon, and Seven of Nine, who is Borg. I got to thinking what circumstances might bring a Romulan (permanently) on board a Starfleet vessel, and I came up with this story! The idea was also largely influenced by TNG episode, _The Enemy._ In the future, I might write more adventures of these characters on this ship.

I would like to extend a special thank you to LORIOVER50 for your kind reviews of my story. They inspired me and made me want to write more!  
I would also like to thank Tuvstarr's lost heart for encouraging me to write this story and for listening to me whine as I did so!

If anyone has any questions about the characters or the story, feel free to message me here or on Tumblr SpaceRune.


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